Marta MiezeSpringfield News-Leader
What was meant to be an hour-long meeting stretched into an hour and a half as Greene County Commissioners tried to clear up confusion and calm fears about a future northwest highway loop in Willard Thursday night.
Plans for the highway loop — dubbed the "James River North Loop" — running around the perimeter of the Springfield metro have been shared in various Facebook groups in Willard and the surrounding areas. An unofficial map shows the proposed loop connecting I-44 to Highway 65 in Fair Grove through Willard. As the map circulated, those with land and a vested interest in the area grew concerned and voiced their opposition.
Thursday night's meeting was meant to clarify and explain the situation. But about 40 minutes into the meeting, the crowd packed into the First Baptist Church in Willard grew frustrated and began shouting at Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon to answer questions. During the first part of the meeting, Dixon emphasized his commitment to transparency and sought to clear the "strife in the community," which he attributed to people who had caused a panic when sharing the map.
So, what really is going on with the highway loop?
While it's true the idea for a transportation corridor in the northwest part of the county has been discussed, there is no plan, project or exact route for it. A feasibility study for some kind of loop in the area has been identified by the Ozark Transportation Organization and Southwest Missouri Council of Governments as a top-tier planning priority.
The study would consider whether such a route is desirable and necessary, the impacts it would have and what it might look like and where it would go. This is also where Dixon said public input would play a large role in determining the outline of any potential project. The study has been estimated to cost $1.5 million and almost made it into the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
"When we have dollars that come in, whether it's from the taxpayer, locally, the state or the feds, they come with strings and they have to be spent many times for those purposes," Dixon said in regard to the study and the funding sources that any type of future project would require.
He emphasized that this is not something that the county would pay for or take on. As it involves a mix of local, state and federal funds — and interests — municipal organizations like OTO and the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments have to lead the way, Dixon said. Federal law, he noted, requires a feasibility study to be done and public input gathered for any large project of this nature to move forward.
A timeline for the feasibility study remains unknown. County Commissioner Rusty MacLachlan, who represents the western district of the county, has been involved in discussions about the loop idea and the pursuit of funds for the study. He said protecting farmland would be a priority if any project is pursued and assured attendees that eminent domain would not be part of it.
Many remained wary of this commitment, however, noting that the actual construction or development of a loop could occur decades from now, long past the current commission's tenure — making their vow to reject the use of eminent domain moot. The room filled with applause and emotion as local farmers emphasized their generational ties to the land, which they believed a highway would threaten.
"That affects farmers and ranchers, and that's going to affect the food on your table," one attendee said. "Growing your cities is what you're worried about, you need to be thinking about who's going to be feeding you."
How did we get here?
MacLachlan and Dixon both said at Thursday's meeting that the idea was something that residents of northwest Greene County had approached them about as an infrastructure need over the past few years. They said large corporations were not driving the effort to find funding for the study, though MacLachlan disclosed that after hearing about the proposal, Convoy of Hope had expressed support for the idea.
"So when we do have folks telling us that they see a need, we don't just take their word for it. We have to involve the entire public in that process to see if it's even needed," Dixon said. "That's what the study is."
MacLachlan said this was a way to plan and prepare for the future and the growth that may come, anticipating future infrastructure needs whether that entails a loop or not.
One of the attendees, Sterling Harlan, said the community was "baffled" that $1.5 million of state taxpayer funds would be spent because a small group or one person suggested a need, while so many opposed even the thought of it.
"It's not fiscally responsible to go off the lens of one or even 10 or even 100 people that might come to you guys to spend $1.5 million," he said.
Some said the money would be better spent fixing existing roadways, though Dixon clarified that the county does not maintain any city roads, such as those in Willard and Springfield, but only those in unincorporated areas.
Others in the crowd said they felt they'd been kept in the dark about the proposal and pursuit of funds for a feasibility study. Dixon said that any discussions and meetings about the idea, both among the commission and entities like OTO, are always open to the public and feedback is welcome.
More: New Missouri study of I-44 will highlight need for future projects along route
What's next for the proposed highway loop?
Until the state funding is allocated, the feasibility study will not move forward. If, or when, it does, that does not mean the project itself would be approved and move forward. The study would solicit more official public input and gather data on the possibility, necessity and desire for additional transportation infrastructure in the area. Then there's the matter of funding any future construction — according to a needs list compiled by the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, the full scope of the project could cost as much as $800 million to build.
An environmental study for a north corridor in Greene County is also on Missouri Department of Transportation's Unfunded Needs Tier 1 list. MoDOT is hosting a public meeting regarding the whole region's unfunded needs on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Library Center 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
